Sine Qua Non - Ziehharmonika Syrah Central Coast 2018 (750ml)
Price: $360.00
| Producer | Sine Qua Non |
| Country | USA |
| Region | California |
| Varietal | Syrah |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | 7721 |
| Size | 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck: 99 Points
Checking in as 82% Syrah 6.7% Mourvèdre and the rest Petite Sirah and Grenache the 2018 Syrah Ziehharmonika was largely destemmed and brought up in 51% new French oak. Gorgeous crème de cassis smoked game bacon fat and spring flower notes all soar from the glass of this beauty and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness ripe building tannins and a rare mix of richness and freshness. Unquestionably made in a more restrained elegant style compared to a decade ago it nevertheless is flawlessly balanced has awesome tannins and is just another magical wine from this address that's going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades. (Drink between 2024-2046)
Wine Advocate: 99 Points
The 2018 Syrah Ziehharmonika is composed of 82% Syrah 6.7% Mourvedre 5% Petite Sirah 2.3% Grenache 2.7% Viognier and 1.3% Muscat. ?I think Muscat is the number one white grape for me to blend with reds? Manfred said. ?It kinda triples the effect of the wine.? The red winemaking included 14% whole cluster. The vineyard sources for this wine are 51% The Third Twin 43% Eleven Confessions and 6% Cumulus - all estate owned vineyards. The wine was bottled in August 2020 after 23.5 months of aging. It was reared in 51% new French oak 46% in used barrels and 3% in terracotta. (The terracotta is only use for whites.) Medium to deep garnet-purple colored?WOW?perfumed black and blue fruits prance out of the glass revealing accents of candied violets and cinnamon stick supporting the plum preserves blackberry compote and garrigue-scented core plus hints of molten dark chocolate licorice Chinese five spice and bacon with a touch of iron ore. The densely laden full-bodied palate is seriously showy featuring flamboyant black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers with a solid backbone of ripe rounded tannins and bold freshness finishing with epic length and loads of earth pepper and floral fireworks. 1910 cases and 600 magnums were made. ?Naming wines is becoming impossible? Manfred Krankl told me last year in a fit of frustration. ?Everything has already been taken. Even 'No Name!'? After this conversation his nearly completed registration of the name ?Squeezebox? for one of the new releases fell through. Someone had already registered that name. The wine?s name had to be changed to ?Ziehharmonika? meaning "squeezebox" in German. It was the last straw. The Krankl?s are done (for now) with new fanciful names for every new Sine Qua Non label each year. From 2019 onward the wines are all to be called ?Distenta? meaning ?unlabeled? in Latin with a number to follow. Accordingly the 2019 Grenache and Syrah releases this year are called ?Distenta I.? ?I cannot say that there will never be a fanciful name again but for now we are trying to avoid the nightmare of litigation or removing labels? said Elaine Krankl. More importantly the original artwork for the labels will continue to be different every year as will the blending creation inside the bottle. Published: Aug 19 2021
Vinous: 98 Points
The 2018 Syrah Ziehharmonika is every bit as captivating from bottle as it was in barrel. In this tasting the Ziehharmonika stands out for its soaring aromatic complexity and character. Black pepper lavender mint spice and blueberry add a striking upper register of aromatics. Vivid and wonderfully deep the 2018 is going to need a number of years to come into its own. What a wine! (Drink between 2026-2038)
| Quantity: |
